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Friday, 19 December 2014

You know that flat feeling when Christmas is all over? (Yes, all right I know we haven't even had it yet, but there's no harm in thinking ahead, is there?) It's my book launch 7th January 2015 so if you live in the Poole/Bournemouth or surrounding area, book a place - it's free - come along and say hello!

Sunday, 30 November 2014

Novelist Pamela Fudge tells us about some
of the fun she had getting her on-line writing course started

How do you get an on-line writing course off the
ground? Well, if you’re sensible (and me!) you go into partnership with an
ex-student, Richard, from your time as a creative writing tutor. Ensure the
partner has the business brain that you lack and that your ideas coincide.

My daughter, Kelly, was happy to get involved and the idea of using video clips
was suggested! Photographs are one thing – all you have to do is look your best
and smile nicely for the camera. Video clips mean you have to move and speak
(and both at the same time!). I also had to memorise a script - a lot to
ask of someone who rarely remembers what she had for breakfast.

Cue cards were the answer, but sticking them to the wall above Kelly’s head
meant I was looking up instead of at the camera. Luckily we’re nothing if not
inventive and the solution was to blu-tack the two sheets to Kelly’s elbows
either side of the camera she was holding. When we stopped laughing it was
quite successful. However, the next clip comprised four sheets and we only had
two elbows available.

Using a broom handle gave us plenty of pole to stick sheets to, but having
Kelly in front of me holding the camera in one hand and moving the pole upwards
to keep the sheets at eye level, while clever, was hilariously funny and
filming had to halt many times until we managed to get a useable version.

You can see the result on www.writefor.co.uk
If you’ve always wanted to write but don’t know where to start, this is the
course for you!

If you never write the first sentence, you will never write ‘The end.’ (Pamela
Fudge) www.writefor.co.uk

Carly Ray intended to march right up to Declan O’Halloran and tell him exactly what she thinks of the man whose careless driving put her mum in a Dorset hospital. But from the moment she sets foot on his building company’s work site, she’s off balance.

First of all, muddy, rock-strewn ground and power heels don’t mix. Second, the man she confronts? She’s seen those compelling, aquamarine eyes before—when he personally delivered flowers to Mum’s hospital room.

It’s Declan’s fault that Carly has to jeopardize her career to take over the care and feeding of three spoiled brothers who’ve never lifted a finger around the house. But she never expected him to offer her a job.

In spite of herself, Carly begins to fall for the kind, rugged entrepreneur. The trick will be convincing her heart she can live without him when Mum is back on her feet, and it’s time to return to London.

Sunday, 2 November 2014

Summer 2013 was just stirring when my publisher invited me to
write a book with the working title: ‘The Toughest, Bloodiest and Hardest
(sporting) Challenges in the World’. Only trouble was he wanted it written in
four months.

So my first job was to negotiate an extension. Two months was granted and I
began my Internet research, discovering hundreds of events that might qualify
for such a book. I needed to find a way to limit these, so decided to include
only those that complimented one another and could be done as single events or
combined to make others. For example, swimming, running and cycling, which
together form a triathlon.

In keeping with the working title, the book should only include the toughest
events, but as I hadn’t taken part in any of them, how could I know which these
were? So I consulted sporting friends, who put me in touch with those who knew.
This was a real coup as I was able to glean far more intimate details about
events than would have been possible using only the Internet. Even better, my
contacts allowed me to reproduce extracts from their blogs, and also provided
photos.

This gave the book its human element – a first hand account of someone’s
140-mile lone run along the world’s highest motorable road in India or their
cross-Channel swim complete with jelly fish - providing a real insight into the
emotional and physical highs and lows, the mental battles, and the ultimate
satisfaction of overcoming these to cross the finish line.

With each new, tougher event I discovered, I found myself shouting, ‘That’s
mental!’ and jokingly told my publisher I’d renamed the book ‘Mental!’

‘I love it!’ said John, and that was that - ‘Mental!’ was born and thrust its
way out into the world on 3rd July 2014.

Monday, 15 September 2014

I often surprise and frighten myself

Creative Frontiers chatted to Kelly Rose, one of the authors in our e-zine Six of the Best(second issue now out).

CF: Tell us a bit about yourself.

KR: I have been married to a very patient man for the past twenty years and have two lively teenage daughters. We have a cat called Revel who surveys his estate from a wheelbarrow at the bottom of the garden. I am qualified as a Human Resource practitioner with a degree in education and training. I have had a number of short stories and letters published. One letter in Zest magazine resulted in time with a life coach, personal trainer and nutritionist.

CF: What subjects or genres do you like to read?

KR: I love to read a variety of different genres including autobiographies written by inspirational characters, historical, crime and contemporary fiction, romance and mind, body and spirit. I seek to be inspired or to be taken on a rollercoaster of a journey, which enables me to relax. I also love to read books that have been recommended to me. One time, a friend offered to lend me The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. This was not the type of book that I would normally have read but I read it anyway and enjoyed it so much that I read the whole series. Learning point: never close yourself off to different genres.

CF: Who are your favourite writers?

KR: Oh, that’s an interesting question. Canadian writer LaVyrle Spencer is definitely one of my favourite fictional authors. I have read all of her books and they were all of a five star rating in my humble opinion but sadly she no longer writes. She brings the most unlikely characters together in an intriguing way. My absolute favourite LaVyrle Spencer novel is That Camden Summer.

CF: What subjects or genres do you like to write?

KR: I love to write fictional short stories with a twist ending. I am relatively new to writing and short stories and letters are a great way to start. Short stories are often approximately 1000 words in length and quick to write. I can usually write one short story in a day. I also enjoy the element of surprise at the end of the story, sometimes even to me.

CF: How did you know you wanted to write?

KR: I was encouraged to write by a local author and creative writing tutor, namely Pamela Fudge. I had written a short story at the age of fifteen, which was read out on the local radio. It eventually earned me a grade A in my English GCSE. Who says writing does not pay?

CF: How did you get the confidence to start?

KR: I enrolled on a creative writing course, which consisted of six modules. I started putting pen to paper by writing letters to the local newspapers and lifestyle magazines such as You and Zest.

CF: If you can remember the day you went from non-writer to writer, how did that feel?

KR: As part of my homework on the creative writing course, I had to write six short pieces, one of which was a letter to my local paper complaining about the monstrosity of a building known as the IMAX cinema on Bournemouth beach. I was stood in Sainsbury’s when I opened the newspaper to see my first letter in print. I was so thrilled that I bought twenty copies for my family and friends. I am glad to say that the IMAX cinema has now been removed and the fabulous scenery replaced. The power of the word.

CF: Do you find novels or short stories easier to write?

KR: As mentioned, I am relatively new to writing and therefore find short stories easier to write. They are quick to write and even quicker to share. Personally, I believe in taking small steps at first, which will eventually lead to getting a novel published or even a Mind, Body and Spirit book.

CF: How (and where) do writing ideas come to you?

KR: I usually write about what I know. This was one good piece of advice offered to me by my Creative Writing Tutor, Pamela Fudge. Brilliant writing ideas come to me in the middle of the night or when I am out and about. I never used to carry a pen and paper, so these ideas used to get lost or disappear. I now carry a pen and paper with me wherever I go.

CF: What writing methods and discipline do you practise?

KR: As with most writers I am sure, I am one of the world’s best procrastinators when it comes to putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard nowadays. Once I have an idea, I usually start writing the short story. I have a basic plan in my head and may not know the end until I am fast approaching. I often surprise and frighten myself.

CF: How much do you edit and polish?

KR: As I am a perfectionist, I edit and polish as I go along. This can be very effective when I have finished the story, as each sentence is perfect. However, it can mean that I have one perfect sentence at the end of the day – not very productive.

CF: Which do you find easier: constructing characters or building a plot?

KR: I usually find building a plot and constructing characters relatively easy. However it is getting the story from my head to screen that is the hurdle.

CF: What’s the hardest thing about writing for you?

KR: As mentioned, I am both a perfectionist and procrastinator and these traits often get in the way of my writing. It is often easier to spring clean the entire house than to sit down and start writing. When I was studying for my professional exams a fellow student had the best cut grass in Dorset. Now I truly understand.

CF: What do you most enjoy about writing?

KR: I enjoy the immense satisfaction when I have finished a story and have given it to others to enjoy.

CF: Do you fall into writing ‘dumps’ and, if so, how do you get out of them?

KR: Yes – at times I fall into writing ‘dumps’. Now this is where household chores are at their most useful. Whilst ironing, I can come up with a new plot or a way forward. Walking can achieve the same results and is better for your health.

CF: If you’ve suffered rejection, what works for you in dealing with it?

KR: I try not to take rejection personally. Sending my short stories out to different publications increases their chance of success. It is better than hiding them away in a drawer somewhere never to see the light of day.

CF: What are you working on at the moment?

KR: I am currently working on a short story with a twist ending. I am also in the process of writing a Mind, Body and Spirit book, which will hopefully improve my mind, body and spirit as well as my readers’.

CF: What further ambitions do you have for your writing?

KR: I hope to finish the book and publish it so that it could lead to a career as a motivational speaker and possibly a film ………………………………. Well a girl can dream.

Thursday, 4 September 2014

I couldn’t not write

Creative Frontiers talked to Pam Whittington, one of the writers in our Six of the Best series.

CF: Tell us a bit about yourself

PW: I was a G.P.O. telephonist. That’s right: headset, switchboard and plugs. I loved the work. I have been a widow for ten years – widow is not nearly as nice a word as wife.

My two daughters live locally. I have two grandchildren, both at universities and enjoying travel. I also enjoy having my daughter’s yellow Labrador stay with me when she is on late, or night shifts.

CF: What subjects or genres do you like to read?

PW: Stories with a spiritual theme and also romantic fiction, but not just boy meets girl, more someone’s journey through their life. Books which tell a story of struggle and overcoming their demons, but I don’t like wartime or life in Europe pre Second World War or terrorists overrunning countries. I’m a bit fainthearted and prefer to read about happy events.

CF: Who are your favourite writers?

PW: Santa Montefiore. Lucinda Riley. I find these two authors just so clever when it comes to telling a page-turning tale, and after much twisting and turning they have a very acceptable ending. I loved Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. It taught me so much and reinforced my beliefs in life. I also like Sally Vickers, Sue Gee, Robert Goddard and P.D. James. My favourite travel book was In The Empire of Genghis Khan by Stanley Stewart. Probably my favourite book was The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. I also look forward to each new book that comes out by my friend Pam Fudge.

CF: What subjects or genres do you like to write?

PW: I love local history especially social history of how life was lived in my area and also places I visited. I researched and wrote the history, Hythe Hospital. A War Memorial Remembered. My second local history was Hythe Fire Brigade. A Local History. I like to write short stories with a slightly ghostly theme. My first novel is about re-incarnation. This was based on an archaeological dig I witnessed. My second novel is based on information suggesting many marriages are celibate.

CF: How did you know you wanted to write?

PW: I enjoyed English lessons at school and afterwards I was always scribbling about something, but submitting them for publication was not something I ever considered.

CF: How did you get the confidence to start?

PW: I did a course with the Writers’ Bureau, and won first place in a competition at Southampton Writers’ Conference. I joined Southampton Writers’ Circle and found support and new friends as well.

CF: If you can remember the day you went from non-writer to writer, how did that feel?

PW: We moved house and location. My daughters and husband were at work and although I had a part time job, I also had some spare time. I asked myself then what had I always wanted to do because now I had time to do it. Writing came into my mind. I remember getting an A4 pad and sitting in the garden. I began to scribble again.

CF: Do you find novels or short stories easier to write?

PW: Once I have the idea, I think it has to be novels, as it is just a continuation of the idea. Short stories I often write the outline and then put it away for a while.

CF: How (and where) do writing ideas come to you?

PW: I have a desk and computer in a small room. I’m a great one for eavesdropping. I hear some great ‘one liners’. Even something as short as that can give me an idea for a short story. Longer work comes from brooding at length over an idea.

CF: What writing methods and discipline do you practise?

PW: I am not too disciplined about my writing. I have failed badly recently when the weather was hot, as my creativity just seemed to dry up. Usually, I write at some time during the day, when I can concentrate for two or three hours. No good trying to write when you have something else in the back of your mind. A little relaxing walk can often bring inspiration.

CF: How much do you edit and polish?

PW: I usually write the story, then print out a chapter. I only seem to see my mistakes when they are on paper. Eventually I will rewrite the whole thing.

CF: Which do you find easier: constructing characters or building a plot?

PW: The characters usually come first, the main ones anyway, and although the plot is in the back of my mind I find it exciting, especially when the characters sometimes go a slightly different way from that which I intended, but the plot overall remains the same.

When I am writing I find either a character or situation stays in my mind, no matter what I am doing or where I go. It can mean making changes, and that’s also a challenge, which I enjoy.

CF: What’s the hardest thing about writing for you?

PW: Definitely the computer. I’d like just to write and not have to conform to what the computer expects. It can ruinit for you. I sometimes feel I would get on a lot quicker without it.

CF: What do you most enjoy about writing?

PW: With fiction, I love creating characters and placing them on path through a life, which I manipulate. Sometimes they take a different route from that which I intended and that is exciting. It makes them real. With local history, it is the research, again about characters, only they’re real.

CF: Do you fall into writing ‘dumps’ and, if so, how do you get out of them?

PW: Yes. I do. Sometimes I leave it and do something else. I don’t find it works to force writing. I don’t panic as I know it will come back again, maybe tomorrow. I couldn’t not write.

CF: If you’ve suffered rejection, what works for you in dealing with it?

PW: It doesn’t affect me as much as it used to. Then I would shut the door and go out, meet a friend, if possible otherwise, retail therapy, or just walking along the coast. Now I think, ‘Well, that’s your loss, then.’ I always have more out there and probably send it out again, there and then.

CF: What are you working on at the moment?

PW: I am writing another novel. This one is a romantic mystery. I have started my memoirs. I also pen various verses as ideas present. I usually have a poem forming in my mind.

CF: What further ambitions do you have for your writing?

PW: Like most authors my main ambition is to gain an agent or publisher. Secondly, I would like to write another local history; this time on local characters, wonderful people, who helped to form the area, where I live.

Good to see that Pam has published this new book in electronic format as well as hard copy.

So, that’s one piece of good news.

Secondly

On this day Pam has opened for business by offering writing courses at her new site Writefor.

You will see there how Pam has spotted that few if any courses address the unwritten – people who want to write but need guidance and support to begin. Writefor is now the place for people who aspire to write, buthave not found the right beginning to their own story.

We’re pleased to see how Pam makes good use of video on her site. Her clips provide very good illustrations of the points that Deryn Pittar made in a recent post about her experiments with video.

(Pam has some good stories about how she managed to get the cue cards in the right place during the filming)

So, that’s another piece of good news.

Thirdly

Pam has agreed to write an ‘Ask Pam’ post for Creative Frontiers each month.

She will answer a question posed her by writers who seek her advice about improving their writing craft.

First one starts tomorrow, so come back and see what she says.

(Teaser: it’s about ideas).

So, that’s a third piece of good news.

Oh!

We nearly forgot to mention our e-zine Six of the Best. Six great stories by Pam and five of her writing friends. First issue already out (for a nominal sum) and second issue out next week.

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Thursday, 28 August 2014

Novelist Pamela Fudge tells us about the work behind the
scenes when the Romantic
Novelist Of The Yearis being selected

I didn’t exactly
volunteer for the role of RoNA (Romantic Novel of the Year) Organiser in my
first year on the committee of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Let’s say I
was ‘encouraged.’ Asking what it entailed I received the airy reply that I
would need plenty of room for books. Well, I do live in a small house but, as
there is only me, that didn’t seem to present a problem.

As it turned out, the many books received was the least of my problems, though
when the parcels of books started to arrive I thought they were never going to
stop. I was quickly on first name terms with the postmen and delivery drivers.

It would have been a doddle if only that were all there was to it. I soon felt
as though I was back at the stressful administrator’s job I had only recently
retired from, as it became apparent that spreadsheets would have to be created
to keep track of every detail of every book.

Then there were the 100 readers waiting to receive books and all their details and keeping
track of which books went to which readers, the resulting scores, not to
mention chasing up scores that weren’t returned within the deadline.

I was lucky to have assistance from another committee member when it came to
posting the parcels of 5 books to each reader. It wasn’t unusual to turn up at
the post office with 18 bulky parcels – the post mistress blanched every time
we appeared. She still does every time she catches sight of me!

The good points – and, yes, there were some! – were the lovely people I came
into contact with, plus the pleasure of seeing that so many books are actually being
published, when we are constantly told this isn’t the case.

Would I do the job again? Do you even need to ask?

The winner of Romantic Novel
Of The Year for 2014 was A
Night On The Orient Express by Veronica
Henry.

Pamela Fudge is
available as a speaker. Find out more about her at www.pamfudge.co.uk or contact her

Monday, 18 August 2014

I shrug a lot

Christine Haile is one of the featured authors in our new e-zine Six of the Best. She has also written three novels, all available on Kindle: November Remember, Molly’s Daughters, and A Shadow of Lavender. We managed to tie her down for an interview as she trekked over the Himalayas (or somewhere like that).

CF: Tell us a bit about yourself.

CH: I don’t really like talking about myself, but here goes. I trained as a nurse so have SRN RFN NNEB to add to my name. These were acquired in the north of England so my historical novels are concerned with Lancaster. My story about a hurricane in St Lucia was written because we lived in the West Indies for a number of years. I’ve had a long bucket list of places to visit and things to do. It goes from the Amazon rain forest to chasing whales in Alaska to looking for tigers in India. It was a long list but it is nearly complete.

CF: What subjects or genres do you like to read?

CH: I like to read about adventurers, people like Joe Simpson, Ranulph Fiennes and Ellen MacArthur. I envy them their bravery.

CF: What subjects or genres do you like to write?

CH: I like best to write historical novels about true happenings. I admire the people, who lived a few hundred years ago, and their courage,

CF: How did you know you wanted to write?

CH: When I first started to write.

CF: How did you get the confidence to start?

CH: Just got on with it.

CF: If you can remember the day you went from non-writer to writer, how did that feel?

CH: Yes, I remember. The tutor at my creative writing course told me to stop playing about with my ideas and put them into words.

CF: Do you find novels or short stories easier to write?

CH: Novels. More freedom to expand and do research.

CF: How (and where) do writing ideas come to you?

CH: I enjoy research, so when I am browsing through history books and when a problem catches my imagination, I read more about it.

CF: What writing methods and discipline do you practise?

CH: I am very undisciplined and am continually changing the basic plot.

CF: How much do you edit and polish?

CH: I try to persuade my husband to do most of it, then change everything back to how I first wrote it.

CF: Which do you find easier: constructing characters or building a plot?

CH: I do not find any of it easy and spend many a sleepless night reconstructing the plot.

CF: What’s the hardest thing about writing for you?

CH: Putting the first words onto a clean page.

CF: What do you most enjoy about writing?

CH: Watching the characters develop a life of their own.

CF: Do you fall into writing ‘dumps’ and, if so, how do you get out of them?

CH: Yes, I do sometimes feel as though the story has ceased to develop. Another cup of coffee usually sorts thing out. Being melodramatic is not my thing.

CF: If you’ve suffered rejection, what works for you in dealing with it?

CH: I shrug a lot.

CF: What are you working on at the moment?

CH: Something different for me: world domination by a few very strange people.

Thursday, 14 August 2014

A row with my husband started me writing

Creative Frontiers went over to meet Tracy Baines, one of the inaugural authors in our e-zine Six of the Best.

Tracy has a husband who also makes her laugh (see title above!), a son, daughter, stepson and three glorious grandchildren. She has just acquired a puppy named Harry (Springer Spaniel – mad like the rest of us). Tracy drinks enough tea to float the Royal Navy and has a fail proof method for getting the covers on duvets. Her short stories have appeared in mainstream magazines in UK, Australia, South Africa, ROI and Scandinavia.

CF: What subjects or genres do you like to read?

TB: I like to read anything and everything. It would seem a poor life if one couldn’t read. I’m the proverbial sauce bottle reader: I need to know where it’s made, what’s in it. So I suppose I love to read to learn and I think you can do that from fiction as well as fact. I love a good uplifting tale, well told.

CF: Who are your favourite writers?

TB: Niall Williams for his lyrical description. Margaret Graham for her sense of story, place and character. Anna Quindlen for her plots. Susan Hill and Beryl Bainbridge for their brevity.

CF: What subjects or genres do you like to write?

TB: I suppose I write about family, because that’s what I know and enjoy writing about. The struggles, the hardships, the everyday problems we may encounter, how we deal with them, how we get through them.

CF: How did you know you wanted to write?

TB: My grandmother used to tell me the stories of her family. The men were all at sea on trawlers that sailed from Grimsby. Life was very hard, the men away at sea for long periods and the women running families by themselves. She didn’t want the stories to be lost and I said I would write about them. Although I wrote notes and did a lot of research I never had the confidence to tackle a novel. That and John Boy Walton really!

CF: How did you get the confidence to start writing?

TB: It took years – and a row with my husband. You know, the ‘I’ll show you’ argument.

CF: If you can remember the day you went from non-writer to writer, how did that feel?

TB: That took years as well. I went to a writing class for a long time. I had sold more than 30 short stories before I felt I could call myself a writer.

CF: Do you find novels or short stories easier to write?

TB: Although I’ve written a novel I haven’t yet published it. I think whatever you do most of is the easiest. I think that’s the same for most things. The more you do it the easier it gets (allegedly).

CF: How (and where) do writing ideas come to you?

TB: Everywhere, something I see or hear when I am out and about. Sometimes I read an article and that triggers a story as well. I start thinking ‘What if?’ or ‘What would I do in that situation?’

CF: What writing methods and discipline do you practise?

TB: I try and write every day even if it’s only Morning Pages of letting my thoughts dribble on the page. If I keep writing coming back to short stories is a lot easier as my writing muscle is still getting exercise. I write mostly in my office but I also work on ideas and take notes anywhere I think of them. I always have a notebook by the bed and one in my bag for jotting down ideas or lines of dialogue. I can’t always read the ones in the book by my bed as I’m usually writing the notes in the dark but I mostly get the gist of what I mean. I transfer ideas into separate notebooks for short stories, articles and keep a notebook or box for larger works in progress.

CF: How much do you edit and polish?

TB: Lots and lots. I always find this the most satisfying part of writing. Really shaping the sentences, deleting whole paragraphs and scenes that don’t add anything is strangely satisfying. I suppose that’s because the struggle of trying to find the story is over and I enjoy discovering the deeper meaning of what I am trying to say.

CF: Which do you find easier: constructing characters or building a plot?

TB: That’s an easy one to answer. Characters. Why? Because I like to get to know what makes people tick. I think in another life I’d like to have been a psychologist, but I’m too impatient.

CF: What’s the hardest thing about writing for you?

TB: Getting started. Once I’m writing I’m away and lose all sense of time, but I can procrastinate to Olympic medal standard.

CF: What do you most enjoy about writing?

TB: Connecting with other people. Sharing things.

CF: Do you fall into writing ‘dumps’ and, if so, how do you get out of them?

TB: Write something different. I put what I’m working on to one side and either get out of the house and do something not connected with writing at all, or I work on some other piece of writing. So if I’m writing a short story I might switch to working on a blog post or article.

CF: If you’ve suffered rejection, what works for you in dealing with it?

TB: If? I don’t believe there is a writer that hasn’t suffered rejection. When I first started writing I took all rejections as a personal slight – ‘I’ was a failure. I learned that you have to keep it separate from yourself or your self-esteem hits rock bottom. It’s still hard when you get work back but if you’re not sending things out you’re not trying hard enough. Success is all the sweeter for having rejections.

CF: What are you working on at the moment?

TB: A book about eating disorders from a parent’s perspective and the effect on the whole family. It was the book I needed to read when I found out my daughter was ill. I hope it will help other people in the same position.

CF: What further ambitions do you have for your writing?

TB: I want to keep discovering new horizons, a fresh way to see the world and share it with readers.